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General Rehabilitation

Pioneering Rehabilitation for Advanced Heart Failure: The CH-VAD Experience at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Friday, October 24, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM MT
Location: Kiosk 2

    Primary Author(s)

  • Logan Dobbe, MD

    Resident Physiatrist
    McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University (SRAL) PM&R Program
    Chicago, Illinois

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Leslie Rydberg, MD (she/her/hers)

    Associate Professor of PM&R and Medical Education
    McGaw MC of NW University NW Med Schl/RIC
    Chicago, Illinois

Disclosure(s):
Logan Dobbe, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Case Diagnosis: A 76-year-old male with HFrEF, severe AI, and multiple cardiac interventions, post-implantation of the novel CH-VAD.

Case Description or Program Description: The patient, a 76-year-old male with HFrEF (EF 22%), underwent CH-VAD implantation and SAVR on 1/13/25, following a history of severe AI, LV thrombus, Afib with LAA thrombus, and LAA ligation. His past medical history includes HTN and gout. Post-surgery, he was admitted for inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, marking the third U.S. health system to participate in the INNOVATE trial for CH-VAD.

Setting: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, a leading rehabilitation hospital, participated in the INNOVATE trial for CH-VAD, providing a controlled yet dynamic environment for recovery and device optimization.

Assessment/Results: The patient’s IPR stay lasted 17 days, extended by 2 days due to elevated MAP requiring interdisciplinary collaboration and medical decision-making. The IPR environment facilitated precise medication administration and device troubleshooting, crucial for optimizing MAP to meet physiological demands for community ambulation. Institutional learning included policy reviews and just-in-time training adaptations to manage the post-operative care of a patient with an experimental device.

Discussion (relevance): his case underscores the intersection of physical medicine and rehabilitation with innovative cardiovascular therapies. The successful integration of CH-VAD in a rehabilitation context highlights the critical role of physiatrists as team leaders who ensure patient safety and optimize recovery through a translational medicine approach. The challenges faced and lessons learned offer valuable insights into managing complex cases involving advanced medical devices.

Conclusions: The CH-VAD implantation case demonstrates the potential benefits of a translational medicine approach in rehabilitation settings, promoting safety and innovation while fostering institutional adaptability and readiness for future advanced cardiac device integrations.